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When Jan Morris passed away in 2020, she was considered one of Britain’s best-loved writers. The author of Venice, Pax Britannica, Conundrum - and more than 50 other books - she was known for her observational genius, lyricism, and humour, and her work earned her a passionate readership around the world.

Born in 1926, she spent her childhood and formative years in Oxford and later military service took her to Italy and the Middle East, before embarking on a career as an internationally fêted foreign correspondent. From being the only journalist to join the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 to covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann, Morris’s reportage spanned many of the twentieth century’s defining moments. However, public success masked a private dilemma that was only resolved when she transitioned genders in the late 1960s, becoming renowned as a transgender pioneer. She went on to live happily with her wife Elizabeth in Wales for another five decades, and never stopped writing and publishing.

Now, journalist, writer and broadcaster Paul Clements has produced a striking biography, Jan Morris: life from both sides, which skilfully brings together the many strands of Morris’s rich and at times paradoxical life. The book portrays a person of extraordinary talent, curiosity, and joie de vivre blending an exploration of her extraordinary life with an insight into her vast body of work.

Join Paul Clements, in conversation with Tim Hannigan to delve into this unique life.

For more information and to book your ticket, please visit the event website here.